Description
We are looking for a backend-focused Staff Software Engineer to provide technical leadership across our Contact Centre. This is a hands-on, high-leverage engineering role: you will solve the most complex technical problems, shape direction across teams, and evolve the services, integrations, and customer experiences built around Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) platforms such as Azure, Google, Zendesk, and Twilio.
You will work closely with engineering, Product, Architecture, Data, Security, and Customer Service colleagues to turn customer and colleague needs into reliable, scalable, and measurable technology. This includes customer FAQ and self-service experiences, colleague tooling, and responsible AI automation. The role is primarily focused on backend engineering in Java, while providing technical direction for frontend experiences built with React and Next.js.
Responsibilities:
- Set and communicate technical direction for Contact Centre technology, aligning near-term delivery with a coherent longer-term architecture.
- Design, build, and operate secure, resilient, observable services and platforms that can evolve as the business changes.
- Stay hands-on with production-quality code, technical discovery, design decisions, reviews, and complex problem-solving.
- Lead the design of distributed systems, APIs, integrations, and event-driven workflows where appropriate.
- Define robust integration patterns for Zendesk, Twilio, and other CCaaS capabilities across telephony, messaging, case management, and customer data.
Requirements:
- Significant experience designing, developing, and operating production software at scale.
- Strong understanding of software engineering principles, distributed systems, and modern delivery practices.
- Deep backend engineering experience with Java and its associated frameworks, architecture patterns, and testing practices.
- Experience designing integrations with third-party SaaS platforms; knowledge of Azure, Google, Zendesk, Twilio, or another CCaaS platform is particularly relevant.
- Experience leading technical direction across more than one team or product area, with the influence to bring people with you.
Benefits:
- 20% colleague discount across M&S products and selected third-party brands after probation.
- Competitive holiday entitlement, with the option to buy additional days.
- Discretionary bonus schemes linked to personal and business performance.
- Defined contribution pension scheme and life assurance.
- Tailored induction, training, and development opportunities.
- Discounts and wellbeing support through the M&S Choices portal.
- Family-friendly parental, adoption, and neonatal policies.
- Wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and support for you and your family.
- One paid charity volunteering day each year.